Columbia River Ed Halligan’s Slip K.I.S.S.

Columbia River Ed Halligan’s Slip K.I.S.S.
For many years now the KISS series from Ed Halligan and Columbia River Knife & Tool have been enjoyed by knife nuts and gadget guys. Now they have a model that can truly be called a gents knife. It is a slip joint – which basically means it does not have a lock, instead the blade is held open by the tension of a backspring. There is a traditional nail nick instead of the more contemporary thumbstud. Finally, there are abalone-like composite injected handles overlaying a stainless steel frame that has been engine turned for a look that really pops.Here is Columbia River Knife and Tool’s information:
Imagine a traditional slip-joint K.I.S.S.® pocket knife. You did. And Ed Halligan once again gave a perfect shape to this unique vague idea.

As the noted architect Mies Van Der Rohe said, “Less is more.” And this Ed Halligan design is an answer to your request for a little less of his very popular K.I.S.S.® knives. We had customers say, “How about a simple pocket knife version that uses a traditional slip joint? No frame locks, no clips. Just the lightest possible knife for everyday pen knife chores like opening packages and sharpening pencils.” We told Ed what you wanted.

Ed went away to his workshop in his usual quiet way, and one day a package arrived with the prototype of our new Slip K.I.S.S.® folder. The result is the lightest full size K.I.S.S. knife yet. It has a 2.75-inch blade, but weighs in at only 1.8 ounces. Wow!

Ed has removed everything but the bare essentials, and in the process he has solved some deceptively challenging design problems. For example, the classic slip-joint pocket knife usually has a steel frame with full-length brass liners. Ed minimized the stainless steel frame, and riveted on two small brass liners to locate the blade laterally. For proper blade/frame alignment, Ed had to put a unique twist in the frame. In the process, there is a deep finger choil for grip. As a final touch, the frame is engine turned, like the firewall on a vintage Bugatti Type 37 racer.

Next, he added two carefully contoured scales for comfort and as blade guards. We have been able to injection mold them from a strong and lightweight composite that has a translucent abalone shell look.

The high-carbon steel blade looks at first glance like any other flat-ground drop point pocket knife, with a nail nick for opening. But it is unusual in that the grind is asymmetrical—about 80% on the front, and nearly flat on the back—similar to other K.I.S.S. family designs.

No, the Slip K.I.S.S. is not a heavy-duty work knife. Our catalog is full of knives with advanced locks and patented safeties intended for arduous cutting chores, so please choose one of them if you have a rough job to do.

However, if you want a great lightweight pocket knife at a great price, with lots of style and a little bling-bling, then look no further.

About the Knife Designer
Ed Halligan “Big Daddy K.I.S.S.” was the second noted knifemaker to work with CRKT. After 37 years as an aircraft technician with Delta Airlines, he founded Halligan Knives in Sharpsburg, Georgia, in 1985—when he says his background in scrimshaw and leather working fell in line with his interest in stock removal knifemaking. In 1996 he earned a Mastersmith rating from the American Bladesmithing Society and won the B.R. Hughes award for Best Knife by a Mastersmith. He does all his own work, including heat treating, forging, and making Damascus steel for his own use in various patterns. In addition to three-dimensional carved knives, he makes self-defense, military and folding knives. He is the inventor of the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Super Simple) single-sided knife series which has been widely copied, and has been translating his custom versions of it into CRKT production knives, which have proven to be exceptionally popular with knife enthusiasts and the general public. He teaches bladesmithing seminars and knifemaking at the college level.